Ironman Australia: Laura Siddall set to make full distance debut in Port Macquarie

But that’s how long it’s been since British triathlete Laura Siddall last competed in an Ironman event in Port Macquarie.

She had done a couple of sprint distance races, but she admitted the numbers wouldn’t have been more than a handful at the time.

“I did my first ever 70.3 as a complete beginner into the sport in Port Macquarie back in 2009 when it was in October,” she said.

“I’ve been up a couple of times to watch friends race in the full distance but never done it myself so I’m pretty excited to be back here and racing the full for the first time.”

Born in Nottinghamshire, she represented England as a junior athlete in the 400-metre hurdles and netball before she took up triathlon while working in Australia on a two-year contract with Shell Oil.

It came as little surprise that Siddall then claimed regular success at age-group level all over the world.

“I spent quite a few years as an age grouper but was mainly concentrating on the shorter distances,” she said.

“Slowly over the years I progressed to the stage where I made the full distance, then turned professional and then moved to San Francisco and based myself there with my coach.”

Sport is something which formed Siddall’s identity from a young age – she is a self-confessed sports junkie.

The history associated with the event in Port Macquarie was one of the factors that encouraged her to return this year.

Instead of handing out the encouragement to the athletes like she did in 2009, the 37-year-old will be receiving it.

“I’m looking forward to being on the other side of the fence this time and I know there’s going to be amazing crowd support out there,” she said.

“Port Macquarie is not an easy course which is good because it keeps everyone honest.

“The bike course is challenging because of the road surface and that nice little 10 kilometres of hills in and out of town is pretty special and you can’t go past Matthew Flinders hill.”

Siddall wasn’t deterred by the expectation of being one of the pre-race favourites in her return to the Ironman Australia Port Macquarie arena.

“It is a long day and so many elements can go wrong, but so many things can go right and you really don’t know what’s going to happen on the day,” she said.

“You’ve got to be focused on yourself but you’re also here to race the other athletes on the start line. It’s a bit of an unknown which is the exciting thing.”